The Fall
by feuillemort
Summary: It has been 15 years since the Fall between the three nations Hyrule, Tuli and Danna. The sisters Godreine and Embla lives a peaceful life in the village of Hoves when a sudden epidemic spreads, bringing with it both disease and destruction to their lands. Godreine is forced to decide who to side with, which leads her to search for the infamous Link, leader of the rebellion.


This story does not begin at a time of peace. It begins, like some, with the beginning of a war.

The announcement of a new embassy in Hyrule's capital led with it a misunderstanding that came with grave consequences. What is even more strange is that even though people know of the details, and find them unlikely, no one seems to question it. It is a case that has never been investigated, even though everyone knows that there is more to the story than what has been told. Nobody wants to dig any further, scared of what they'll find if they do, so the unsolved case has remained just that - unsolved, for many years.

Three countries' monarchs, Hyrule, Danna and Tuli, were standing together in Castle Square with people surrounding them as far as the eye could see. Three flourishing countries that did just that, flourish, because of each other and their trade. What one had, the others needed. It was such a simple yet perfect division, a blessing from the Gods indeed.

It was a beautiful day. Sunny and warm but with a wonderful breeze that Hyrule was so famous for. No matter how warm of a summer day, one could always count on the gentle breeze to cool. It was a joyous day, with children laughing and playing, making the skirts of their parents flutter.

However, that peaceful picture quickly shattered.

Right as the monarch of Danna was about to cut the ribbon to inaugurate the newly opened embassy, a soldier standing guard shoots that very same monarch as he claims he saw a weapon, as well as a thirst for death in the monarch's eyes. However, the monarch had only carried a golden pair of scissors to cut the ribbon with. Moments after, a short, but nothing less of an actual war, had erupted in that very plaza, and with it, killing many innocents. Ever since that day, people had simply started calling it _The Fall_. They did so in all three countries, for all relations between the countries had in the end fallen.

Such a small detail as someone seeing a pair of scissors as a deadly weapon. It was a hard thing to believe.

The people that were sympathisers of the war argued that there had been heat between the countries for years and that what had happened during _The Fall_ had simply been the last drop in an ocean of conflicts no one ever talked about. Even though the war had started on Hyrulian soil, most people argued that they understood the soldier that had killed the monarch from Danna. In some circles, that soldier was even considered a hero, acting out on only a hunch to protect the royal family, embodying the essence of nationalism and patriotism. He was killed during _The Fall_, shot in the chest by a Tuli soldier.

The war had been the start of chaos not only between countries but within themselves as well, especially in Hyrule. After that, the region was never the same. No official war ever erupted but aggressive riots, coups and demonstrations seemed to grow by the day.

Godreine had only been two years old during _The Fall_, together with her parents at the square with the rest of the capitals inhabitants. However, the events of that day had made her tiny family consisting of her parents and, later on her little sister, move to a small farming town north of the capital, close to the border of Danna. With the protection of the Mountains of Wigor that lay as a vicious belt across from one end to the other, touching the ocean at both sides, it was indeed a very safe place to be. They took over an old horse farm in a town called, funnily enough, Hoves. Godreine's father, Davide, was originally from Danna. Her parents wanted to be close to both homes, come chaos in either region. They led a peaceful life nowadays, with only as much conflict as teenagers could create in a small town.

Ever since her baby sister Embla was born, when Godreine was only three years old, she wanted to help with chores around the farm. Godreine was as responsible as a three year old could be, helping her mother, Lola, every morning to carry hay to their horses. This had been a daily routine for many years now. When Godreine was around six years old, she and her mother were once again discussing _The Fall_ while carrying the hay, one of Godreine's favorite topics to discuss. Godreine loved discussing with her parents, as they were recognized as very educated people from everyone in their village.

"This is not a war between people, it's a war between nations and that is a very different thing." Lola had said. As she carried the hay on her left shoulder, she gestured wildly with her right hand, something that both Godreine and Embla would start mimicking as they grew older.

"What do you mean by that?" Godreine had asked. Her mother helped her open and close the gate after her, leading them both towards the patch of land where their horses spent their summer days in bliss. A tiny spring ran across the little plot with water as sparkling as a mirror. The horses always lingered around there, bouncing up when they noticed food was coming.

"I mean that the people ruling the country and the people living in the country are not one and the same." her mother continued.

"One should never judge Danna's people, or Hyrule's people either for that matter, based on their leaders actions or choices. They might not even want that person up there to begin with."

They tossed the hay into a hollowed tree split in half with the horses running up around them. Even though they ate and loved the green grass surrounding them, there was something special with the hay from the fields of Hoves. Godreine had even tried it once. It tasted like fresh spring water and earth.

Something that her mother had said that day lingered with Godreine, carving out a shape in her as a person. It was true, she thought that same night as she lay hidden in the shadows of the village's small library: the actions of leaders were not always representative of the will of its people. That was two very different things. She closed the book about democracy and different ideologies with a small thud and bit her lower lip, deep in thought.  
It wasn't unusual for Godreine to go to the library, no matter what time of day it was. The library was located on the second floor of the local temple and only had a small collection of books, mostly about religion, politics and other humanitarian subjects, but it made due. She loved spending entire nights there, just flipping through the pages of every book on a shelf, smelling the knowledge from them. Her parents were very aware of their daughter sneaking but didn't say anything, because they knew their daughter. It would run off her like oil on water. So, they simply gave her two slices of bread with extra cheese on it the next day, to give her some energy for the chores that needed to be done.

Godreine's parents did not understand nor support the diplomatic situation in the least. Lola and Davide argued that the reason for this dragged-out conflict was a simple misunderstanding that could easily be fixed if all sides just asked for forgiveness. The village of Hoves shared that very opinion, making life easy for everyone. It was more difficult in cities such as the capital, where split opinions often lead to fights and riots. However, Godreine felt convinced there had been more to _The Fall _than what people knew, someone acting as a puppeteer in the background (or something, she wasn't sure of her theory just yet). Either way, the people hadn't asked for this, of that she was convinced. That day she'd made a conscious decision: she wanted to be a part of change. She couldn't put her finger on exactly what this change would be or how she would do it, but she could feel it reverberate through her entire body. A gentle breeze flew in through the window, forcing the curtains to flutter in the silent night. She smiled to herself, convinced Mother Nature had agreed with her, and dreamed of the future that night.

_Then came the disease. _


End file.
